Divorce QUESTION from Robert Ranieri January 18, 2001 Hello,
My wife has seperated from me last summer and she has made an application for divorce. It will go through no matter what but it is not what I want. This is her decision. She had already started seeing this man she met while I was still living with her. I don't want to get into more details as it has broken my heart.
My question: How do I live a good christian life now that my wife is gone?
Please be very specific
Thanks Robert
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on March 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Ranieri:
I am very sorry about your situation. I do understand what you are going through. It happened to me too. My wife ran off with another man. We divorced even though I asked her to come back. This is hard to cope with, but I can assure you that time will heal the wounds.
As for living a good Christian life? Your living the Christ-life is not independent of your wife. You don't need a wife to live a good Christian life.
You merely keep doing all the things that good Christians do: go to Church, partake of the Sacraments often, pray, study the Bible, perform devotions, perform good works, try to lead a pure life, ask forgiveness when you sin, etc. etc.
If your question implies an issue of sexuality, well you must remain chaste until such time as you are validly married. I don't know if you are Catholic or not, but as a Catholic, you would have to ask the Church for an annulment in which case the Church would investigate your marriage to see if it was Sacramental or not. If it was not a Sacramental marriage, then a Decree of Nullity would be issued and you are free to marry again.
God bless you. God loves you and is with you in this time of trial.
Bro. Ignatius
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